Well-Known Member

not only is the monorail iconic, there is no way that the gondola system can not move anywhere near the number of people that the monorail can, and unless I'm missing something the gondolas are not handicap accessible.

Wrong on both counts. They are continuous moving, no waiting for the next train to show up. and they are indeed handicap accessible, even more easily then the Monorails. They don't even have to stop moving or loading for the handicap process. There is another thread in the News and Rumor section that will give all kinds of details as to what they can do, how many they can carry and the super system for loading handicapped and strollers. No stopping necessary.https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/new-gondola-transportation-disney-skyliner.924477/

Well-Known Member

Good question but to be honest I don't know much about DL at all. Do they have more than one track like in Orlando or not? If not perhaps they don't see a scenario like Orlando's happening, but that's just a stab in the dark on my part?

I'm sure somebody on here will have a definitive answer though ............................ ANYONE?

Like WDW the monorail line at DL has an option to switch a track so they can take a monorail off and replace it with another one, which is the scenario that caused the crash at WDW. Apparently they were taking one of the trains off the main track to move it to maintenance but someone failed to actually press the button to move the tracks so that when the monorail was backing down the track to the maintenance area it wasn't actually going down the maintenance track it was going right down the normal track that still have another monorail on it but because someone finally did hit the button (though to late) the track started to switch but too late so that the poor guy in the other monorail was left without any power or ability to try and move his train backward too to lessen the impact.... As I understand the history of the monorail at DL it has also had an accident in the past when someone pushed the button to switch the tracks and did it after the train had already crossed the switchable track so that when they pushed the button it pretty much move the track and torn the monorail in half.

Well-Known Member

Wrong on both counts. They are continuous moving, no waiting for the next train to show up. and they are indeed handicap accessible, even more easily then the Monorails. They don't even have to stop moving or loading for the handicap process. There is another thread in the News and Rumor section that will give all kinds of details as to what they can do, how many they can carry and the super system for loading handicapped and strollers. No stopping necessary.https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/new-gondola-transportation-disney-skyliner.924477/

I always thought that if they wanted the monorail to be a real transportation system, as opposed to a "ride" that also happens to transport people there were many improvements that could be made. especially in the load/unload process.

I also like the people mover (TTA), which works like the gondolas, or modern ski lifts. In load and unload they move slowly (or can be stopped) and then when on the mainline they move a lot faster.

Well-Known Member

I always thought that if they wanted the monorail to be a real transportation system, as opposed to a "ride" that also happens to transport people there were many improvements that could be made. especially in the load/unload process.

I also like the people mover (TTA), which works like the gondolas, or modern ski lifts. In load and unload they move slowly (or can be stopped) and then when on the mainline they move a lot faster.

They need to fix the stations at the resorts. They were not built for the current security process, so the post-security area is very small. This leads to a huge backup of guests waiting to get screened, keeping the train at the station for much longer than it needs to be while hundreds of guests get their bags checked and go through metal detectors, all while the train sits there. The resort stations need to be reconfigured like those at the MK where guests can spread out along the length of the train, after clearing security, so as to improve efficiency.

Active Member

I always thought that if they wanted the monorail to be a real transportation system, as opposed to a "ride" that also happens to transport people there were many improvements that could be made. especially in the load/unload process.

I also like the people mover (TTA), which works like the gondolas, or modern ski lifts. In load and unload they move slowly (or can be stopped) and then when on the mainline they move a lot faster.

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

They need to fix the stations at the resorts. They were not built for the current security process, so the post-security area is very small. This leads to a huge backup of guests waiting to get screened, keeping the train at the station for much longer than it needs to be while hundreds of guests get their bags checked and go through metal detectors, all while the train sits there. The resort stations need to be reconfigured like those at the MK where guests can spread out along the length of the train, after clearing security, so as to improve efficiency.

Maybe I'm missing something in how you are trying to describe, but you do get to spread out along the length of the train after security. I don't see any trains waiting for back up of guests to get on the monorail. In fact we missed a monorail because we reached security just as the monorail doors were about to close. No holding of a monorail for us.

New Member

The prescription of “cut, cut, cut” is more appropriate for a cash-strapped local government than it is for a company that built its reputation on magic and forward-looking ideas. I for one see no need to defend cost-cutting measures (or low wages) for a division that earns around $1.3 billion in profit four times a year.

New Member

Only used the monorail from epcot to ttc and on to magic kingdom once and will never bother again it was so slow and really hot.
Doubt it will ever get removed but would love a quicker more efficient transport system to replace it.

They don't have to get rid of ADA, just improve the process. The gondolas will work like a modern high speed ski lift, where the car can decouple from the high speed life line for loading.

Now the monorail is not continuous, but is batch loading, so that will not necessarily work, but Disney has it's fabled imagineers - but them to work. Devise a better ADA compliant loading system. Just spitballing, but what if they could load the wheelchairs and scooters on a side track in a separate carriage, before the main train came in, and then couple it onto the main train while it is being loaded.

Actually, is that even necessary. Somehow ADA compliant monorails (Orlando and Newark airport come to mind) run just fine without any special provisions. Just roll into the car when the doors open.

Well-Known Member

True but there's a slight difference. They still also let you ride the monorail, just not in one specific part of it. Also Disney altered Mission Space after those incidents. One's an actual ride that would upset far more people if it were closed, the other is something 99.9% of visitors don't even know about and won't cost Disney financially if they eliminate.